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Matthew 11:28
Rest and Invitation
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Why it is worth knowing
- Jesus personally invites the exhausted and burdened
- “Rest” translates the Greek verb anapauo; the related noun anapausis (deep refreshment of soul) appears in verse 29.
- The invitation is open to everyone: “all you who labor”
- Rest is a gift Jesus gives, not something we earn
Where it sits: Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
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Background
Jesus speaks these words in the midst of a passage rebuking religious cities that had rejected him. Amid judgment, he turns and offers this gentle invitation. A yoke in the ancient world was a wooden frame shared between two animals: Jesus is saying, share my yoke, and I will carry the heavy end. The contrast is with the heavy religious burden the Pharisees had placed on people.